"[i]If someone has hired a lawyer, good on them. I appreciate it!"
If they did, yes, that's good.
If not, then you won't know until after the money is dispersed and Billy is out of the country.
"Further, if a lawyer has been hired... whoever did so owes nothing to the rest of us."
The only thing owed is to tell us a lawyer has been hired. Not who, how much or anything else.
Just that the shareholders are covered.
"If they wish to tell us about it sometime... great! If not, I don't see how we're any worse off."
So if you found out two days after the settlement funds are handed over to Billy that you had no lawyer representing you, you'd be OK with that, too?
I doubt it.